The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu) is up in arms after women workers at Shoprite Checkers in the Eastern Cape were allegedly forced to submit to a strip search.
The union this week confirmed it has lodged a grievance after about 40 women workers at the Greenacres Shoprite Checkers supermarket in Port Elizabeth complained that they were forced to strip to their underwear in front of male security guards.
Maraliese Niemand, the super- market manager, allegedly ordered the strip search. She declined to comment, referring queries to head office.
Vumile Gqomose, Saccawu representative in the Eastern Cape, said the women workers’ ordeal started after about R400 went missing at the store. The female workers were allegedly divided into groups and ushered into a room before being told to strip naked. Team leaders allegedly began searching the workers’ clothes and underwear. No money was found.
“The experience was humiliating and degrading. The women felt their dignity and respect had been stripped away. We feel strongly that the manager who allegedly committed this act should be disciplined,” Gqomose said.
Gqomose said the union has been working with the Shoprite Checkers management to ensure that the matter was settled speedily.
“The women have already complained that the manager who did this to them is still at work. We need to know what will happen to her,” he said.
Shoprite Checkers head office this week said it is conducting “a thorough investigation into the procedures followed” at the store.
Callie Burger, the chain’s general manager of human resources, said his company respects human rights and “if it is found that the rights of any of its employee were impaired, the necessary disciplinary action will be taken.
“Our company has well-established channels through which grievances can be successfully addressed, and the matter will be resolved internally in the best interest of all parties involved,” Burger said.